Brooke -
I generally setup my full SO2R station in 8P for ARRL.
However, the primary purpose is not to tune for Q's and mults. I do
that as well but it not very fruitful.
The real advantages are moving stations, checking band openings, and
rapid recovery from equipment failures. Since the two radio/amps are
equal and have access to all antennas, there are a few other advantages.
Having two stations allows for quicker band changes (an advantage when
you get tired and have manual tune amps), alternate band CQ'ing (not
real productive but helps tell if bands are open) and finding clear
frequencies.
OTOH - for CQWW, SO2R makes as big of a difference as it does when
operating from the US.
73, Tom W2SC
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Faber [mailto:andrew.faber@gte.net]
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 12:01 PM
To: Brooke Allen; CQ-Contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Advice for SO2R from Caribbean during ARRL
Brooke,
Interesting question, and one that I have often considered. I've
operated ARRL CW from P40Y and P49Y the last three years. I've used a
second radio, but not to look for mults; rather, to check for band
openings and as a convenience in moving mults. As a practical matter,
from the Caribbean, it's unlikely that you will work a rare mult by
finding it on the second radio. The rare mults generally will call you,
and then you may want to move them to other bands. Mostly the guys who
are CQing from US/VE are the big stations, and they will all call you
when you are spotted on packet anyway. The rarer mults are mostly low
power "little pistol" stations that are searching and pouncing
themselves.
For example, last year I worked 59 of the possible 63 mults on 40-10.
I did actually spend some time looking for the other four, all of which
were Canadian, on the off chance that someone like VY1JA might have been
CQing.
But I never heard one of them, and don't believe that those four ever
showed up in the contest.
I'll be interested to see responses from other Caribbean ops.
73, andy, ae6y
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brooke Allen" <brooke.t.allen@gmail.com>
To: <CQ-Contest@CONTESTING.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 6:14 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Advice for SO2R from Caribbean during ARRL
> Over the last decade I've fallen in love with SO2R low power when
> operating from the U. S. At low power the rates are low enough that
> there is time to do something with the 2nd radio.
>
>
>
> I've operated from the DX side and love it because it makes me feel
> like I am popular. (I'd rather look like Brad Pitt and have hundreds
> of women lusting after me, but a pileup on 15 ain't bad).
>
>
>
> But I never have operated SO2R from the DX side in a contest.
>
>
>
> Is it worth doing? I'll be operating the ARRL CW low power from a
> beach house in Puerto Rico with wire verticals at water's edge. My
analysis is:
>
>
>
> - The only place where I have to worry about multipliers is 10
and
> 160. On the other bands mults will just happen.
>
> - I'm going to be battling it out with Europe much of the time,
so
> much of the time I'll be fighting to keep a freq.
>
>
>
> Right now I think a 2nd radio might make sense mostly on 10 during the
> day and 160 at night. However my fear is that whenever I pay attention
> to the
> 2
> nd radio I greatly increase the risk of losing my run frequency. If I
> were running a KW from ZD8 I might be able to keep my freq but
> barefoot from
> KP4
> I run a big risk that 20 seconds of silence means someone else owns my
> spot.
> I also find that, at least in the CQWW, 2 radios leads me into
> temptation in that I often find myself S&P with both radios, sort of
> DXing. I might be having a blast, but my score suffers. I don't think
> I should be afraid of this in ARRL because there is nothing to work
> that is actually interesting.
>
>
>
> Does anyone else have experience with this from DX in ARRL?
>
>
>
> Should I bother trying to man 2 radios?
>
>
>
> During sunspot minimum should I be trying to run on 15 and announce a
> listening freq on 10?
>
>
>
> What am I not thinking of?
>
>
>
> 73,
>
>
>
> Brooke N2BA
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
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>
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